


A Second Chance Family

by milkysterek



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha Mate Stiles Stilinski, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Sterek Summer Exchange 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 14:55:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11404761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkysterek/pseuds/milkysterek
Summary: Cutesy little adoption fic for the Sterek Summer Exchange 2017. What it says on the tin.





	A Second Chance Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is my gift to [captainpettie](https://captainpettie.tumblr.com/) for the exchange. You're super cool and I love the gifsets you make, you're super duper talented and I am in awe. Also, I kinda wish I'd written more for this like I had planned (my life exploded and cut my time short) so I'm probably going to add another chapter once the exchange is over, BECAUSE I HAD PLANS!!! Anyway, I really hope you like this. You're awesome.

Derek had never enjoyed surprises; most of the events in his life had been surprises and none of them were ever any good. The exception to that rule had always been Stiles, his loud-mouthed, scatterbrained, undeniably beautiful husband. He hadn’t planned on Stiles at all. It didn’t matter how long he pined or how hard he craved the man, he never realistically thought he’d ever deserve someone as imaginative, as devious and as perfect as Stiles Stilinski. Yet here they were, five years on from their first kiss, married and about to have a baby. 

The weather was gorgeous outside. Golden light rained down on the lush, green front lawn, making tiny beads of water that had been scattered by the sprinklers shimmer dazzlingly like diamonds under the gaze of the bright, full sun. Birds were hopping around, searching for worms, tapping the ground with their little forked feet while off in the distance, too far away for anything other than supernatural hearing, small predators prowled the undergrowth looking for their next meal. He could almost see Alia playing out there. She would be so happy, he thought, running in and out of the spray, chasing the wildlife that lived around their home, her jet black hair getting damp and sticking to her chubby cheeks. Yes, Derek could see her fitting in well here. 

Alia was Derek’s second exception to his rule. 

“I don’t understand why I have to move out for the next two weeks,” Isaac complained, breaking the gentle peace that Derek had lost himself in. It was so easy to zone out in the blissfulness of his life these days, to sit back and enjoy what he had; he must be getting old. 

Isaac stalked across the living room, his backpack thrown over his shoulder containing what Derek didn’t believe for a second could possibly be two weeks worth of clothes and whatever else he would be needing during his exile. Stiles wasn’t far behind him, “And  _ I _ don’t understand why you’re still living with us in the first place.”

Before Isaac could get the chance to sass back, Derek thought it best that he step in. He was a father now, he needed to practice breaking up children’s squabbles. Coming away from the window, he walked up behind his husband and placed two hands on his shoulders, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Why don’t you go make sure Alia’s room has everything she needs and I’ll see Isaac off?”

“Fine,” Stiles grumbled under his breath and shot Isaac a parting glare before heading for the stairs. 

Isaac loitered by the door, fiddling with one of the straps of his backpack, eyes cast down. “Is this the part where you tell me to be nicer to Stiles?”

It was ridiculous, really. Derek had always kind of thought Stiles and Isaac would grow out of their rivalry, that maybe adulthood would make them see each other a little differently; it wasn’t like they didn’t have anything in common after all. He was wrong, clearly, but they could at least  _ pretend _ to get along - for his sake if nothing else. He did actually like both of them and deep down, deep, deep,  _ deep _ down, he knew Stiles and Isaac liked each other, too. 

Deep down. 

He rolled his eyes and leant against the floral wallpaper that decorated the living room. He’d picked it himself when they were first rebuilding the house and he thought it brightened the place up a little bit. The fact that the entire pack had been surprised by his taste had seemed strange to him until he realised practically everyone in town thought he  _ enjoyed _ living in derelict buildings and other areas of general doom and gloom. Derek liked floral. Floral made Derek happy. “No.”

Isaac blinked, “No?”

“You’re an adult, Isaac; you can do whatever you want. Would I prefer it if my husband and my beta weren’t constantly at each other’s throats? Sure, but I have a lot more to worry about right now than the two of you squabbling.” 

Something that Derek said must have struck a chord with Isaac because the curly haired beta looked down, chewing at the inside of his mouth like he was working on saying something. Time had taught Derek that waiting his silence out would usually get Isaac to say what he wanted to. He just had to wait for his confidence to build. “Derek, you know everything’s going to go fine with Alia? You’re going to be a great dad and even if you are kicking me out, I’m still really happy for you - you  _ and _ Stiles.”

There was no doubt in Derek’s mind that Isaac was looking forward to Alia finally coming to stay with them - the entire pack was thrilled - but hearing it instead of the usual brigade of sarcastic and biting comments was a little touching. Derek cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. “Uh, thanks,” He started, rolling his eyes when Isaac grinned at how uncomfortable he’d made his alpha. “But it’s not like we’re kicking you out forever and if we could let you stay, we would. You know the rules: Alia is only allowed to see Stiles and I for the first two weeks. After that, we can introduce the rest of the pack slowly but until then-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Isaac was still grinning, a boyish glint in his toffee eyes. “Until then I’m out on my ass. I get it.”

Derek smiled and looked down at his feet before catching Isaac’s eyes again. “You’ll be fine - and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of  _ fun _ at Jackson’s while you’re away.”

It was cute that Isaac was trying his best to look confused, especially with how rosy his face was quickly growing. The rose tint really did wonders for his cheekbones. The fact that Isaac and Jackson were somewhat of an item was supposed to be a secret, apparently, but it wasn’t a very well-kept one. Despite that, Isaac was still trying to pull the whole ‘ _ who, me? _ ’ act. Like Derek said, it was cute. 

“What are you talking about? I’m staying at Scott’s.” The beta tried to smile sheepishly but it came out more like a grimace. Derek took pity on him. 

“Oh, yeah. Of course!” He smirked, his voice full of false sincerity. Isaac punched him in the arm. 

 

Packing Isaac away in the Camaro and essentially banishing him from his home for the following two weeks left Derek feeling a little guilty. This  _ was _ Isaac’s home after all and as far as Derek was concerned, the man was family. He thought that Isaac should be allowed to stay for Alia’s ‘settling in’ period but the adoption agency had thought different and, well, he didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardise the whole process. Besides, two weeks would be up in no time and as Stiles had said time and time again, if anyone was going to meet Alia against the adoption agencies guidelines, it was going to be his father. 

The sheriff was another person who wasn’t thrilled at the idea of his new granddaughter residing in Beacon Hills for a whole two weeks before he could even set his eyes on her in the flesh. He thought there should be a special grandfather loophole that he could slip through but, alas, no such loophole existed. It wasn’t like he was completely deprived, though. The sheriff has one very nice, silver framed picture of Derek and Stiles with Alia in the middle, all cuddled up when they’d taken her to a funfair just last month. That was the same day Derek had to sneak off and scare away Scott and Lydia who were prowling around the parking lot, trying to catch a glimpse of the new family. Those were two more people who weren’t taking the no contact rule great either. Derek had no idea how he and Stiles were going to filter in the pack members when the time for meeting Alia came. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, but the pack bond could already tell she was their alpha and alpha-mate’s cub. Their anxiety to finally see her was understandable. 

He couldn’t worry about that right now, though. That was a problem for another day. 

Derek found Stiles in Alia’s bedroom where he had sent him just moments before. It was decorated just how she’d like it - he was sure of that because he’d been back and forth from her housing near a hundred times with paint swatches and furniture catalogues and even had her walk him through exactly where she wanted each of her stuffed animals placed (all five on her bed, none were to be left out). The walls were a sandy yellow with blue and pink floral designs around the borders. A not too small, single bed was pushed against the back wall and the bedding was a duck egg blue and pastel pink. Matching yellow throw pillows were scattered over the bed, each thick with the scent of pack members so even though Alia wouldn’t be meeting them for a fortnight, she would still be saturated with their scent. It was a wolf thing; Stiles found it hilarious.  _ He _ was over by her wardrobe, gazing inside at the plethora of dresses they had bought for her. Just because the pack couldn’t meet her yet didn’t mean for a second that they weren’t going to spoil her. Alia had outfits from everyone; there was a bright pink cardigan from Melissa that she had knitted herself, a beautiful embroidered green and purple salwar kameez from Scott and Kira, John was responsible for the baseball jersey that Derek was sure would be getting a lot of wear and there were many other items all crammed in together in a colourful rainbow mixture from plainer Americanized clothes all the way to the most intricate Indian clothing Lydia could find - because of course, Lydia had done the majority of the clothes shopping. 

“Do you think we went overboard with the yellow,” Stiles asked without looking up from where he was frowning at one of the soft, yellow sarees, stroking his thumb over the fabric of the coral pink palla. “I know she said it was her favourite colour, but kids change their favourite colour all the time. What if her favourite colour’s green now?”

Derek chuckled gently and wrapped his arms around Stiles’ waist from behind, kissing his husband on his shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll love whatever we give her. She seemed pretty thrilled with that keyring you bought her at the aquarium.” 

That, apparently, was not the right thing to say because as quickly as it had left his lips, Stiles was squirming from his grip and turning on him with wide, amber eyes. “Oh my  _ God _ ,” He gasped, not at all overdramatically, “I bought her a  _ keyring _ . What sort of five year old has keys!”

Derek shrugged. “We don’t know her business.”

“Hilarious,” Stiles deadpanned, unamused by what Derek thought was kinda funny, at least by his standards. “You really should go into comedy. You’re wasted on the national healthcare system.”

“Oh look,” Derek smiled, closing the wardrobe doors and seizing his husband by the hand. “Now you’re the funny one.”

“I’m  _ always _ the funny one.” 

“Well, funny one, I think it’s time we go and collect our daughter,” Derek paused for effect, because he was that type of asshole, “And this is no laughing matter.”

“That was so bad that even Alia’s cringing right now.” Stiles rolled his eyes but Derek had already spotted the smile on his face and the pair walked out of their daughter’s bedroom, ready to officially start their family. 

 

The outside of the children’s home where Alia had spent the last four years of her life always had a way of making Derek anxious. It was tall and looming, casting everything beneath it in shadow. It made Derek intimidated whenever they came to pick Alia up for days out but strangely, now that he knew he’d never have to come to this place again, he felt a little better about it. 

The couple entered through the sliding front doors and into the breezy reception area. They knew the drill like clockwork now and soon found their way to the waiting room after checking themselves in. All the paperwork was done in advance to make today run as smoothly as possible. All they needed now was their little girl and then they could go and start the rest of their lives. 

It didn’t take long before Derek - and Stiles not long after - could hear the sound of Alia’s frantic feet pounding down the corridor. Every slap of her shoes made Derek’s heart jump in his chest, made it ache with a mixture of excitement and longing to see his child - his  _ cub _ \- again. She burst into the waiting room, her brown eyes blown wide and her dark cheeks tinted pink from running as quick as her little legs could carry her. 

“Tata! Daddy!” She yelled and both of the men were on their feet in an instant. Alia barreled into them, her pointy shoulders hitting them in their things while her thin little arms tried desperately to wrap around both of them at the same time. 

The smile that had broken out on Stiles’ face was one that Derek had only seen a handful of times in his life, the last time being when Derek spoke his vows at their wedding. His husband was a generally happy person now, after years of therapy and constant reassurances that he and the people he loved were finally safe, but this smile… this smile was pure awe. 

“You ready to go home, baby?” Stiles asked, his voice thick in a way that Derek was sure his own would be if he could find words. His throat felt raw and he didn’t need a mirror to know that his eyes were red-rimmed. 

For years, Derek had been accepting of the fact that he would never have a family again. That time was gone, lost in the ashes of his old home. It hurt, but over time his coldness had hardened him to that fact and it was something he was learning to deal with, something he could push right to the back of his mind and never think about, never even acknowledge. 

Things were better after he and Stiles got together. At first, he figured he’d lose Stiles too and tried his best not to get attached. There was college, other men that were far more appropriate for someone as ambitious and enigmatic as Stiles and, of course, there was death. For all Derek knew, Stiles could've been killed at any time; humans were very breakable. It was always nagging at Derek, the thought that Stiles could be so easily and so quickly snatched away by death. His jeep had never been one hundred percent in the whole time they’d know each other, rival packs might have wanted to make an example of him, one simple monster of the week gone wrong or even one of Derek’s ill-judged mistakes could take Stiles just like that. It haunted him for years, kept him awake at night. Stiles made him see a counsellor.

Losing Stiles, that constant threat that ate away at Derek’s being, was what drove him to finally settle his pack. He made Stiles his mate, Boyd his official second in command and mended any bridges with Scott that had been burned over the years. It felt good to be established, to be part of a  _ real _ pack again. It felt whole. 

And after that, well, things just sort of fell into place. He was married and happy and part of a family and when the day came that he found adoption brochures not so stealthily mixed in with his morning mail and Stiles cautiously watching him with pleading eyes, it just seemed right. 

Derek had never expected to have a family again, he’d never even dared to hope, but looking down at Alia, grinning dazzlingly at Stiles, her eyes dancing with light and happiness at knowing that  _ she _ finally had a family too, he didn’t think it was too wrong for him to cry. Even if it was just a little. 

“I’m ready, Tata,” She beamed and turned to Derek while Stiles’ stood, taking one of her hands. Alia held out the other, wiggling her fingers up at Derek with trusting eyes. “Are you coming, Daddy?”

Derek took Alia’s tiny, pudgy hand in his, cupping it protectively. She was beautiful and innocent and so honest with her love that it sometimes hurt just to look at her and without even trying, Alia symbolised everything their little pack had fought to build and everything they had achieved. He had a family again. A perfect, dysfunctional, always entertaining family and he knew at that moment that no matter what came, he would always protect that little girl. “Of course, baby.”


End file.
